Mission: Impossible 8 has now begun filming, according to reports.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the next instalment of the M:I series is now underway, months after work on the seventh film concluded.

The Hollywood Reporter also said that while M:I7 is as still unfinished, work on the next instalment began after Cruise “persuaded Brian Robbins, the new president and CEO of Paramount Pictures, to give him more money to finish the seventh film and make the eighth.”

It also reported that the budget for M:I7 has now hit $290million (£219million).

Back in January, it was announced that the release date of Mission: Impossible 7 has been delayed once again due to continuing concerns around COVID.

Last September, the seventh film in Tom Cruise’s franchise was pushed back to September 30, 2022, four months after its original slated release on May 27, 2022. Before that, its original date for release was first set for July 2021.

Paramount Pictures and Skydance have now announced that the movie will now come out on July 14, 2023 after COVID continued to impact production on the film, which has taken place in the UK.

The eighth film in the series, being filmed concurrently with the seventh, will now not come out until July 28, 2024, a year later than most recently planned.

“After thoughtful consideration, Paramount Pictures and Skydance have decided to postpone the release dates for Mission: Impossible 7 & 8 in response to delays due to the ongoing pandemic,” the studios said in a joint statement.

“We look forward to providing moviegoers with an unparalleled theatrical experience.”

Last year, Cruise explained how he kept the set of Mission: Impossible 7 running during the pandemic.

The actor, who both produces and stars in the action movie, told Empire about the protocols put in place to keep filming safely. “I’ve produced 30 to 40 movies. I am responsible for thousands, if not tens of thousands, of jobs,” Cruise began.

“All my friends in the industry, people that are in distribution, and my crew were like, ‘What are we going to do? I could lose my house!’ So I told the studio and I told the industry, ‘We’re going back. We’re going to get everyone back to work. We’re going to start shooting in the summer. And we’re going to figure out how to do it safely.’”